Apparatus for guiding packaging straps



Feb. 12, 1957 2,780,986

G. RITENOUR APPARATUS FOR GUIDING PACKAGING STRAPS Filed July 50, 1954 :lmllll IH United States Patent APPARATUS FOR GUIDING PACKAGING STRAPS Gerald Ritenour, Bensonville, Ill., assignor to The Richardson Company, Melrose Park, 111., a corporation of Ohio Application July 30, 1954, Serial No. 446,715

2 Claims. (Cl. 10025) This invention relates to an apparatus which may be employed as an aid in packaging various sized articles and more particularly it is concerned with a mechanism which may be used in banding packages with reenforcing straps.

In many instances packages which are large and cumbersome require one or more metal banding straps tightly secured about the package to insure that the contents of the package will not be damaged or separated in shipment. Such straps may be placed around a package in one direction only or may be placed around the package in two directions, that is from front to back and/or from side to side. In the usual case wherein one man does the banding it requires the expenditure of considerable time in placing metal straps about a package. Thus the single man normally has to start at the front of the package, place the strap over the package, walk around to the opposite side to align the strap and force it under the package, and then return to the front to tie the two ends of the strap together. As an alternate, two men can work together, one in front and one in the back of the package for the purpose of guiding and positioning the strap around the package. This latter process, While decreasing the time involved in banding, has the disadvantage of tying up the services of another man who could be employed elsewhere.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming the foregoing disadvantages and has as its prime object the development of a device which will enable one man to readily apply one or more banding straps about a package from a single position in front of the package.

Another object is to provide a strap banding mechanism which may be adjustable so as to permit its use with packages varying in size and in shape.

A further object is the provision of apparatus of the foregoing type which is inexpensive and whose component parts may be readily fabricated and assembled In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the strap guiding apparatus of this invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation illustrating the strap guiding apparatus of this invention in a position with respect to a package which is to be banded.

Figure 4 is a partial view illustrating a modification of the invention.

Figure 5 is an enlarged prospective of the strap receiving means forming a part of the strap guiding apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral designates a channel member which in normal usage is vertically disposed. Extending inwardly from the forward edges of the sides of the channel member are two flanges 11 and 12 between which there is formed a longitudinal opening. Attached to the lower end of the channel member 10 there is provided a receiving section 13. Re-

V 2,780,986 Patented Feb. 172, 7

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ceiving section 13 may be formed as a channel unit which is arcuate in shape, having a general configuration analogous to a scoop as indicated in Figure 5, whereby its open end is positioned in a direction which is substantially normal to the longitudinal direction of the channel member 10. Preferably, the receiving section 13 is somewhat wider than channel member 10, and at least a portion of each of its side walls should be tapered inwardly, as illustrated by the numeral 13a, to meet the respective sides of channel member 10. When a structure of this type is employed as a receiving section, the end of a banding strap S may be readily directed into the channel member 10 from a position in front of a package. I t will be appreciated that any appropriate flared channellike unit may be employed as a receiving section which enables a metal strap to be initially directed into channel member 10.

In addition to the receiving section 13, channel member 10 is provided at its opposite end with a strap guide member 14 having an opening 15 which is disposed in a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal direction of the channel member. Guide member 14 is employed to direct the strap S over the end of a package A after the strap has traveled through the channel member 10. Guide member 14 is preferably formed by merely bending an end of the channel member 10 approximately 96, although it will be appreciated that a similarly functioning unit may be appropriately secured to an end of channel member 10.

Secured to one of the flanges of the channel member 10 such as flange 12 is a cover flap 16 which normally extends the full length of the front opening in the channel member. This cover flap is made of any appropriate semi-flexible material such as rubber, fabric, etc, and is for the purpose of preventing premature removal of the strap S from the channel member 10.

As is indicated in the drawings, a plurality of such channel members are preferably attached to a supporting frame comprising cross members 20 and 21 and horizontal members 22 and 23. This frame in addition may be secured to a supporting structure comprising members 24 and 25, which in turn may be attached to a wheeled truck 26, if desired, for the purpose of permitting the apparatus to be readily moved about a warehouse or the like.

In order to make the strap guiding apparatus of this invention adaptable for use with packages of various sizes and shapes the supporting frame is preferably constructed so as to be adjutable longitudinally. To enable longitudinal adjustments to be made the channel members 1%) are formed of two telescoping sections 10a and 10b as illustrated by Figure 4.

In operation, a package designated by the letter A in Figure 3, is initially placed on a pallet P having openings between its supports through which the strap S may be passed. The package and pallet is then transported to a banding posit-ion by means of a conveyor C which usually comprises a plurality of rollers. As is illustrated in Figure 3, the apparatus of this invention is positioned on the opposite side of the conveyor from that side wherein the workman will stand who is to band the package. With the package in position on the conveyor and in alignment with the strap guide mechanism of this inven tion such that a channel member is disposed opposite the area of the package which is to be provided with a strap, the strap S is inserted between the supports of the pallet P and into the receiving section 13. By continually forcing the strap S forward under the pallet the strap is caused to travel upwardly through the channel member 10 and outwardly through the guide member 14 attached to the top of the channel member 10. As a result of the foregoing operation the strap may be made to completely encircle the package with the forward end of the strap extending over the top of and disposed in front of the package. Due to the presence of the cover flap 16 the strapis prevented from falling out of the channel member 10.

At such time as it has been determined that a sufficient length of the metal strap has been passed. through the channel member so as to permit forming a complete band about the package, the strap may be readily pulled from the channel member through the opening between flanges 11 and 12, the flexible flap 16 being forced aside.

Once the strap has been removed from the channel member 10 it can be pulled tightly about the package and fastened by means of a clip in the customary manner. In the embodiment of the invention described it will be seen that the pallet is bound toand forms a part of the completely banded package.

If a plurality of straps are required for a given package r a similar procedure can be used for each banding operation wherein the bands are all placed in the same direction. Thus, as indicated, in Figure 1 three bands may be employed due to the fact that three strap guiding channel members have been provided in a single banding ap- 'with the size of the package.

While there has been shown and described certain exemplary embodiments of the invention it should be understood that the same is only intended to be limited by the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. An apparatus for use in banding a package with a strap comprising a supporting frame movably mounted for movement relative to said package, an L-shaped channel member having a rectangular cross section secured to said frame and having an open side directed toward said package, a longitudinal flange extending inwardly from the outer edge of each of the sides of both legs of said 'L-shaped channel member and forming a longitudinal opening therebetween, a flexible non-metallic flap secured to oneof said flanges of the longer leg of said L-shaped channel member and covering the longitudinal opening of said longer leg, and an arcuate channelshaped scoop-like member attached to the end of the longest leg of said L-shaped channel member whose open end is disposed substantially normal to the longest leg of said L-shaped channel member and constitutes a flared continuation thereof to facilitate insertion of said strap in said L-shaped channel member.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the longest leg of said L-shaped channel member is composed of two telescoping sections enabling said apparatus to be used to bind packages of varying size.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

